ansaction, you will leave the court and London!
Farewell, my lord!"

Earl Douglas, turning pale and trembling, staggered a few steps
backward, and gazed at the king with astonishment. He wanted to speak,
but Henry, with a commanding wave of the hand, bade him be silent.

"And now for you, my lord bishop!" said the king, and his eyes were
turned on Gardiner with an expression so wrathful and contemptuous, that
he turned pale and looked down to the ground. "What means this strange
train with which the priest of God approaches his royal master to-day?
And under what impulse of Christian love are you going to hold to-day a
heretic hunt in the garden of your king?"

"Sire," said Gardiner, completely beside himself, "your majesty well
knows why I come; it was at your majesty's command that I with Earl
Douglas and the lieutenant of the Tower came, in order to--"

"Dare not to speak further!" yelled the king, who became still more
angry because Gardiner would not understand him and comprehend the
altered state of his mind. "How dare you make a pretence of my commands,
whilst I, full of just amazement, question you as to the cause of your
appearance? That is to say, you want to charge your king with falsehood.
You want to excuse yourself by accusing me. Ah, my worthy lord bishop,
this time you are thwarted in your plan, and I disavow you and your
foolish attempt. No! there is nobody here whom you shall arrest; and,
by the holy mother of God, were your eyes not blind, you would have seen
that here, where the king is taking an airing with his consort, there
could be no one whom these catchpolls had to look for! The presence of
the royal majesty is like the presence of God; it dispenses happiness
and peace about it; and whoever is touched by his glory, is graced and
sanctified thereby."

"But, your majesty," screamed Gardiner, whom anger and disappointed hope
had made forgetful of all considerations, "you wanted me to arrest the
queen; you yourself gave me the order for it; and now when I come to
execute your will--now you repudiate me."

The king uttered a yell of rage, and with lifted arm moved some steps
toward Gardiner.

But suddenly he felt his arm held back. It was Catharine, who had
hurried up to the king. "Oh, my husband," said she, in a low whisper,
"whatever he may have done, spare him! Still he is a priest of the
Lord; and so let his sacred robe protect him, though perchance his deeds
condemn him!"

"Ah, do you